Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down..

This isn't the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but my life really did change. Here's the story of how I decided to change the way I lived my life by becoming healthier and losing 62 pounds (so far).

So many people have asked me how I have lost so much weight, and the answer really is simple.. self-control. That's it. That's the key.

I weighed a lot in middle school through about tenth grade. I lost a few pant sizes and thought I was completely in the clear. It didn't happen all at once, but before I knew it I got bigger and bigger. Depression had a lot to do with it. College wasn't for me.. Let me change that.. College wasn't for me at the time. I wasn't in the best place to be able to do the best that I could. I would skip classes all the time and sleep instead. I was failing classes, and honestly, it didn't really bother me. I just wanted to sleep, watch Netflix, and eat.. and that's what I did. But even after I dropped out of college and moved back home, I was still in a depressive rut. So I continued staying in bed, sleeping when I wasn't at work, and eating so much, and by January of 2018, I weighed a whopping 289 pounds. I wasn't happy with my life, and I definitely wasn't happy with my body. I've never really been confident in my body anyway, but at this point, I was completely ashamed of the way I looked.

Before I really decided to start trying to lose weight, I would get a family pack of double stuffed Oreos or a big bag of Reese's cups and I would eat almost all of them in one sitting... and who can forget about the cheese dip. I have always LOVED cheese dip, and working at Los Reyes totally didn't help with that at all. I ate so much cheese dip at work that one of my bosses started calling me Cheese Dip..

When I decided enough was enough and that it was time for a change, I had a 3/4 full bag of Reese's cups.. I took them straight to my step-dad, Steve, and gave them to him and told him I didn't need them. That is the moment I knew I was really serious about losing weight.

So what I did was, obviously, stop eating all those Oreo's and Reese's cups and all that cheese dip, but also, when I ate my meals, I would stop eating when I started to feel full. That's it. When I start to feel full, I would stop eating no matter how much food I had left. I would not continue eating and eating. One time I even threw away 3/4 of a cheeseburger.

I also started going to the gym, but I'll be honest, I haven't been the most avid gym goer. I go some, but not often.. which I really need to change. Work really has been a good workout for me. For 8-10 hours a night, all I do is run around in circles and sweat. I also drink about 100-120 ounces of water a night, which is a major change. I used to hate water and wouldn't drink it unless it was band camp, and even then I hated it.

Just by making these small changes, I have been able to lose 62 pounds! I have went from weighing 289 pounds to weighing 227! I went from really needing a XL shirt to feel comfortable to being able to wear a medium if I wanted. My pant size went from a size 20 to a size 14! When I look at my progress pictures, I can really see the changes!

I remember the first time I really noticed a difference in my body.. One day I was putting on lotion after shaving my legs and I noticed I didn't have to use as much lotion. I was rubbing it on a smaller area!

It's always weird feeling or looking at a part of my body and noticing a difference. It's a great feeling, but it's odd rubbing my neck and being like, "hey, this used to feel fatter."

I also feel so much better! I have more energy, I don't feel as "icky", my depression has lightened up, etc. I just physically and mentally feel better. I've gained so much self confidence it's crazy! There's still some things I want to lose, but I'm getting there! I'm still working hard, and I'm still striving for more and more.

So there you have it folks. That's the story of how I lost 62 pounds from February to August!

If you need any encouragement or advice, don't hesitate to talk to me!